Arthur wins world title with second round cage submission

Victoria West

Martial artist Ed Arthur has described winning the Bamma World Bantamweight Title as a very special moment between him and his coaches.

The 25 year old from Highfield, Hemel Hempstead, claimed victory against Alan Philpott in the second round with a rear naked choke forcing his Northern Ireland opponent to tap out.

Champion: Ed Arthur.

Arthur said: “It was a feeling that is hard to put into words. It was a very special moment between me, Max, Cornell and Dean.

“I won’t forget that moment.

“It is one of the highest points of my life and definitely the best moment of my MMA career.”

The action was screened on new television channel Spike in a Bamma show headed by former heavyweight champion boxer David Haye.

Philpott is placed five ahead of Arthur at number 10 in the UK and Ireland MMA rankings and after defeating him Arthur has got his sights set on battling it out with fighters among the country’s top ten.

Arthur said: “Alan Philpott is a great fighter and he was ranked above me.

“It was a proper MMA fight against a legitimate MMA fighter. He is completely skilled everywhere so I had to be the same. He was a great opponent, he brought the best out in me.”

Now the scaffolder, who has four more fights under his 18-month contract with Bamma, is determined to make it to the UFC - the world’s biggest promoter of MMA.

“I want to change the lives of the people around me - my friends and my family,” said Arthur.

“We are just normal people struggling to get by. If I have money in the bank, I can help everyone around me.”

He is sponsored by ASW Scaffolding Ltd and CITE Construction and is seeking additional sponsors in the hope of being able to train full time.

“If I can train full time, I can change this game,” said Arthur, whose latest fight weigh in video got 10,000 views online in just one day.